Molested
by CrypticGirl
Summary: Jay had been abused by Solon throughout his life. Now Solon is ready to take it to a whole new level. SolonxJay yaoi. Concluded 11.04.06.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: ToL and its characters belong to Namco.

Author's Note: I had been writing a Christmas story, and I came up with this idea. Then I realized that it was straying too far from the main story, so I took the idea and made it into a separate story that takes place several weeks before Christmas. Because of that, this chapter probably looks strange.  
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Chapter 1

Senel Coolidge, Shirley Fennes, Will Raynard, Chloe Valens, Norma Beatty, Moses Sandor, Jay the Unseen, and Grune got together for lunch one day. Actually, they always got together for lunch; it was quite routine for them. Their friendship was just that close. However, having their time interrupted by a mission was also...fairly routine.

The three Scallop Brothers entered Senel's house and approached Jay.

"Jay," Poppo said. "Can we talk to you somewhere alone?"

Jay raised an eye. "Very well. Would you all excuse me?"

He stood up and followed the Oresoren into the backyard and hid behind a bush.

"Jay, our network has just spotted Cashel in the Forest of No Return," Poppo said.

"Cashel? What was he doing?" Jay asked.

"Well, he wasn't really doing anything," Poppo said. "He looked like he was waiting for something."

"I see...he's probably waiting for me."

The Oresoren glanced at each other. "For you, Jay?"

"That's right. Most likely, he wants to revenge against me for bringing about his downfall. As for me, I'm curious as to whether he's improved his skills at all."

"So what will you do, Jay?" Quppo asked.

"I'll go to the forest and face Cashel myself."

"Should we tell the others?" Poppo asked.

"No...this is a score that Cashel and I must settle ourselves."

--------------------

Jay explored the Forest of No Return, but he wasn't finding anything unusual so far.

_He must be around here somewhere_, he thought. _I suppose I'll have to go in deeper._

He trailed deeper into the forest...and then he began to sense something. Jay pulled out his dagger and waited.

Suddenly, two very familiar tonfa blades shot through the air towards him. Jay parried the blades with his dagger; at the same time, two darts struck both of his legs.

"Arrgh!" Jay cried out as his legs suddenly went numb, and he collapsed to the ground.

He sat up and pulled out one of the darts, then examined it _Paralysis serum..._

To confirm it, he found that he could no longer move his legs.

"Heh heh..." a voice laughed as the masked Phantom emerged from the trees.

Jay gasped. "Cashel!"

"Looks like I've outsmarted you this time, you little brat!" Cashel taunted.

"Well done," Jay responded.

--------------------

"Hmm, it's been a while since Jay left with the Oresoren," Shirley said.

"It must have been something important," Chloe added.

"No way!" Senel jumped in. "If it was that important, Jay would have told us."

"Not necessarily," Will told him. "Sometimes people have personal matters to resolve, and it's better for others not to be involved.

"Like what?" Norma asked.

"Hmm...like my conflict with Harriet, for instance. I would have preferred it if you all hadn't gotten involved."

Senel looked down. "We're sorry, Will. We just wanted to help, that's all."

"It's all right now," Will said. "I'm grateful for your assistance nonetheless."

"Hey!" Moses stood up and peeked into the backyard. "There's no sign of Jay. If he was leavin', he could have at least said goodbye."

------------------

In the Forest of No Return, Jay was still at Cashel's mercy. His body had been bound in fine rope. His legs had been tied together, and his forearms were pinned to his chest. His mouth was also sealed with a strip of duct tape.

Now Cashel was tying some silky red ribbons over the ropes.

"Don't worry, it's nothing personal," he said. "It's only three weeks before Christmas, and I thought you would make a fine gift for your master."

Jay's eyes widened as his breaths became heavy. _Unbelievable! He's planning to turn me over to Solon!?_

"Ah, that's the reaction I like to see," Cashel continued. "Solon will be happy to know that you fell right into my trap. Like a moth to a flame, as they say."

Jay squirmed within his restraints, but it proved to be futile since his legs still would not budge.

Cashel pulled out a syringe filled with a yellow fluid. "It's time for your nap, little one."

"Mmmph!" Jay let out a muffled scream as Cashel plunged the needle into his arm. Before long, the drug took effect, and Jay sank into the spider web of sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Jay slowly regained consciousness. He took a moment to shake off the grogginess he felt from the drug that Cashel had given him. As he studied his surroundings, he found himself in a poorly illuminated room that resembled a lab. Jay then looked at his own position; he was tied to a bare bed frame standing up against the wall. His arms were spread, his wrists tied parallel to his head. Jay looked down and realized two more things. First, that his waist, thighs, and ankles were also tied to the frame. The second thing was that his jacket had been removed, leaving him cold and topless.

Now that Jay knew his situation, he wanted to get out. He flexed his fingers and twisted his wrist, squirming to either slip his wrists out, or break the ropes. However, he was still tightly bound.

"Ah, I see the little brat is awake," a sinister voice said from the shadows.

Jay gasped. "That voice..."

To confirm his suspicions, Solon stepped out into the dim light.

"Welcome, Jay," he grinned. "Perhaps you're wondering where you are."

Jay only stared at him for a response.

"Well, that's not important," Solon continued. "But perhaps you're wondering why I brought you here, correct?"

Jay still remained silent.

Solon began to move towards him. "We've had a lot of fun times training together, haven't we?"

Jay's muscles tensed up involuntarily as Solon closed the distance between them. Solon paused as he noticed this.

"It's fascinating how your body tenses up as I move closer to you, although I haven't even done anything...yet."

He moved to within an inch from Jay, who flexed his fingers, squirming lightly against his restraints. Solon stroked his own chin, carefully watching Jay's exposed body. He watched every muscle as Jay continued to flex and squirm. Solon felt a deep longing from within, a strong desire to reach out and touch the boy's ivory skin. And now that the apprentice stood helpless before him, Solon was free to touch him as he pleased.

"What do you suppose causes your body to react like that, Jay?" he asked.

Still no response from the apprentice.

"Well, it matters not," Solon continued. "Your body movements are so beautiful."

Finally, Jay spoke. "Wh...what are you trying to do?"

Solon grinned. "Do you really want to know? Very well, I'll show you."

He placed his left hand on Jay's shoulder, and his right hand on his abdomen. He then caressed Jay's exposed skin with his hands, while Jay began to fully struggle.

"Get your filthy hands off me!" Jay ordered.

Solon naturally ignored him as he now caressed the boy's skin with his fingertips. "If you can stop me, Jay, I suggest you try."

He brought his hands back up Jay's body despite his desperate struggles. Jay even tried to free one of his legs to kick his tormentor, but that attempt was just as futile.

"Get off me!" he cried.

Solon grinned again. "That's right, keep struggling, Jay. Flex those muscles for me."

Jay struggled again, but then thought better of himself. Solon must be touching him because he was struggling. So perhaps if Jay stopped struggling, Solon would stop touching him. Jay paused to catch his breath, while Solon stepped back to visually examine Jay's body again.

"I've been doing some research, Jay," he said. "Needless to say, physical restraint makes you feel more vulnerable, does it not? However, I also read that removing one's clothes will also make them feel vulnerable. That's why I removed your top when I brought you here."

Solon stepped forward, softly stroking Jay's face and sliding his thumb across his lips. "So how do you feel, Jay? You feel vulnerable, don't you? I know you do."

"Wh...what's your point?" Jay asked.

Solon's face soured, and then he threw a fierce backfist to Jay's face. Jay coughed as a reaction, and Solon moved in to caress his body again.

"The point is that you are helpless and vulnerable, and I can do anything I want to you." To emphasize his point, Solon caressed him with his fingertips again, then gathered some flesh in between his fingers and squeezed it hard. "Understand?"

"Arrgh!" Jay screamed in pain.

Solon cupped his chin. "I'll take that as a yes."

He gave Jay an open-handed slap to the face, then turned around and began pondering to himself, leaving Jay to contemplate his fate.

_Excellent!_ Solon thought. _This is more fun than I thought it would be._

Jay only stared down at his restrained and exposed body. At this point, he realized how futile it was to struggle. But he would not give up. He had to wait for the right moment to escape, but in the meantime, he had no choice but to endure Solon's torture.

Solon turned to face Jay again. "Do you remember what we learned in training, Jay? We learned that losing our sight can enhance our other senses. Let's see how true that is..."

He walked up to Jay and carefully placed one hand over his eyes. Jay gasped as his muscles tensed up again.

"Ah, so it is true," Solon said. "How do you feel now, Jay? Restrained, exposed, and blinded...you feel more helpless than you've ever felt before, don't you?"

Jay shook his head, trying to shake Solon's hand off, but Solon maintained a good grip. "Solon...stop..."

Solon grinned. "You know it's pointless to beg for mercy."

He reached out towards Jay's body with his free hand, stopping only an inch away from his skin. Jay flexed his muscles involuntarily.

"Ah, so you feel my other hand already," Solon pointed out. "Let's see what happens when I actually touch you."

He rested his hand flatly on Jay's chest. Jay gasped as his body instantly quivered at the unwanted touch.

"Ah, excellent..." Solon purred. "Now I know why I took you in. Your senses are sharp...perfect for a situation like this."

"Solon...let me go..." Jay said softly.

"Why?" Solon asked innocently.

"Because...I..."

"Yes?"

"I...I..." Jay found himself choking.

Solon removed his hand from Jay's eyes and patted his cheek gently. "I'm waiting for an answer, Jay."

"Because..." Jay's eyes began to water due to the return of his eyesight.

"Aw, are you frightened, Jay?" Solon gently wiped the tears from his eyes.

Jay clenched his fists within their restraints. "Y...yes..."

Solon caressed Jay's lips with his thumb again. "There's no need to be frightened." He bent over, lightly kissing the nape of Jay's neck while moving his hand down his body, stroking the area between his legs. "This is your dear master you're dealing with."

"Ugh!" Jay cried out as Solon touched his inappropriate area. "You...you're really enjoying this, aren't you?"

"Oh yes. I absolutely love it." Solon gave him a small lick on the neck.

Jay squirmed at this. _Oh, please don't do that..._

"You're not putting up much of a struggle," Solon pointed out. "You must be enjoying this as well."

He covered Jay's eyes with his left hand, while hovering his right hand over his bare skin. Occasionally, he gave Jay a light poke in various points of the body. Jay flinched with each poke.

"So let me ask you something, Jay," Solon continued softly. "If you had me in your position, would you do these things to me?"

"N-No!" Jay responded.

Solon straightened himself and folded his arms. "And why not?"

"Because I'm not sick-minded like you are!"

Solon gave Jay another hard punch to the face. Jay recovered from the blow, then looked up to see a dagger – his own dagger – in Solon's hand.

"Do you know what this is, Jay?"

Jay's eyes widened. "That's..."

Solon grinned. "That's right. This is your own weapon."

He rested the blade on Jay's shoulder, barely touching his neck.

"Are you aware that I can kill you at will?" Solon asked.

"Yes..." Jay said in a low voice.

"Do you wish to die?"

"No!"

"Ah hah hah!" Solon leaned in close, getting right into Jay's face. "Don't worry, I'm not going to kill you. That would deprive me of the pleasure of toying with you."

He covered Jay's eyes again and knelt down in front of him. Jay tensed up, bracing himself for some incredible pain, knowing that Solon had the dagger in his hand. Solon pressed the blade flat on Jay's chest. Jay shivered at the cold steel pressing against his skin. He then felt the blade as it moved firmly down his body.

"Don't breathe too hard, Jay," Solon warned. "You could cut yourself."

Jay kept as still as he could, but he still found himself trembling in fear. He then felt something warm and wet moving up his body. At first he thought it was his own blood, but then realized that it didn't hurt at all. It felt much more disgusting than blood. It could only be Solon's tongue

"Arrgh!!" Jay screamed in disgust.

Solon rose again, uncovering Jay's eyes and gripping his chin. "My dear apprentice...I must leave you for a short while. But _only_ for a while."

He stroked Jay's forehead and gave him a light kiss, then turned around and left the room. Jay watched him leave, pondering the fact that he was still as helpless as he was when he had woken up. With no choice but to await Solon's return, Jay lowered his head, fighting back his overwhelming urge to cry.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Jay raised his head as he heard the door open and close. Through the darkness, he could make out the figure of his former master. It looked like he was carrying something in both hands, but he couldn't quite make out what it was. Jay tried once more to test the limits of his restraints, but they were still holding strong.

When Solon placed the objects on the ground, Jay realized that they were buckets of water.

_What is he doing with buckets of water?_ Jay wondered.

He didn't bother to ask out loud, as he figured Solon would get around to it eventually. After a moment, he would prove to be correct.

"I'm back, Jay," Solon said with a grin.

Jay only stared at him with his innocent eyes.

"You're wondering what I have planned for you next, aren't you?" Solon asked. "I know you are. I'll tell you, you're in for a shocking revelation. Ah hah hah!"

He pulled out a pair of rubber gloves from his pocket and slipped them onto his hands. He then picked up one of the buckets and splashed the water all over Jay. The boy cried out as the water made him feel even colder than before. Jay shook his head, trying to dry himself the best he could.

"What the hell was that for!?" he nearly screamed.

"Take a look around, Jay, and see for yourself."

Reluctantly, Jay looked around. At first he didn't see anything unusual...until he looked at the corners of the frame that he was tied to. There were wires tied to the corners of the frame, that led to the machinery at the side of the room. Jay's eyes widened, and he flexed his muscles as he realized this.

"It looks like you've figured it out," Solon said. "As you know, water is a much better conductor of electricity than skin alone."

_So that's what he meant by 'shocking revelation,'_ Jay thought.

"Well, shall we get started then?" Solon moved over to the machinery across the room. "I'm going to run an electric current through your body. If I keep the voltage low, it won't kill you...but it'll sure leave you rattled for some time. Heh heh..."

Solon paused for a moment to watch the young apprentice brace himself for the torture. Jay flexed his muscles, trying to squirm free of his bonds. Finally, Solon pressed the button on the computer terminal. A humming noise filled the room. Although nothing was readily visible, Jay could feel the electric current as he suddenly tensed up, holding in his scream as much as possible. After a moment, the current subsided, and Jay gasped to catch his breath.

"That was invigorating," Solon cooed. "Shall we go again?"

He pressed the button again, sending another electric current through Jay's body. Again, Jay writhed in pain, wriggling against his restraints until Solon let up.

Solon grinned. "Very good! Let's try one more round."

Jay gasped, then tensed up as Solon activated the machine again. Somehow the pain seemed even more agonizing than before, as the boy now screamed out in pain.

"Excruciating, isn't it?" Solon called. "Such pain, such pleasure!"

He seemed to be waiting for a response, but Jay was still in too much agony to pay attention. The apprentice let out a low, steady groan, trying to suck in the pain.

A look of pseudo-embarrassment spread across Solon's face. "Oops, I forgot. Sorry."

He stopped the machine, and Jay relaxed, panting with a series of rasping breaths. Jay could feel his consciousness getting foggy. Trembling violently, he looked down at the floor, where everything seemed to be getting blurry. Despite this, Jay could hear the footsteps walking toward him. A cold, bony hand reached out, planting itself on Jay's breast. Jay gasped and tensed up reflexively at this. Solon slid his hand up the boy's exposed body and took him gently by the chin.

"Are you still with me, Jay?"

Jay stared up at him, blinking several times.

"Good." Solon stroked Jay's body, then patted his abdomen several times before letting go.

Jay continued to tremble with uneven gasps. "Solon...wh...why?"

"Hmm?" Solon raised an eye, his curiosity piqued.

"Why...are you...doing...this...to me...?"

"Jay..." Solon cupped his chin and caressed his body again, while Jay squirmed helplessly.

"Why...?" Jay gasped, fighting tears.

"It's because..." Solon slid his hand back up Jay's body and took his chin, looking into his frightened, plum-colored eyes. "You have been and will always be my apprentice."

"No..." Jay shook his head, breaking Solon's grip on his chin. "I'm not...like that anymore. There's...nothing more for you to teach me. I...I've learned all I can from you. So just let me go...let me live..."

Solon clenched his fist tightly and held it right in front of Jay's face, trembling. Jay kept his eyes on the fist, waiting for it to punch him in the face. Instead, the fist opened and stroked his face. Jay shot his former master a confused look.

Solon turned and walked over to the machine again. Jay instantly realized his intention and tensed up. Solon turned on the electric current again, and Jay began wincing in pain. Solon slowly pushed up a small lever, steadily increasing the voltage. Jay felt the pain increasing ten-fold, but he couldn't let it show. He didn't want to look any more pathetic in front of the sadistic man.

Solon grinned as he watched the young boy suffer. "Goodnight, Jay."

Jay let out another prolonged groan...and then his body stopped trembling. His head dropped as his entire body became motionless.

Solon approached him again and stroked his forehead. "He's unconscious. Perfect."

He began to undo the ropes that held Jay to the frame.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Jay's eyes fluttered open slowly. As his vision cleared, he found himself in a room similar to his previous location. He was laying on a bare mattress, which he thought was part of the bed frame that he had previously been tied to. Furthermore, he found that he was no longer restrained.

_What's going on now?_ Jay wondered. _I'm sure Solon isn't planning to release me anytime soon. But this could be my chance to escape..._

As he stood up, he realized how heavy his legs felt. Perhaps if he exercised them, the effect would wear off. Jay dragged his feet over to the door and turned the doorknob...but it wouldn't budge.

_Ah, it's locked..._ he thought. _That figures. He wouldn't make it that easy to escape, would he?_

Jay looked around the room again. There were no other entry or exit points in the room...but he did happen to spot his jacket draped over a chair. Jay started to go for it, but then paused.

_Solon doesn't know that I'm awake yet. If I take my jacket, then he will know. When he comes in, I'll make a break for it._

Suddenly, he could sense Solon's presence. He threw himself back on the mattress and closed his eyes, pretending to be still unconscious. Sure enough, Solon entered the room with a bucket of water. Jay kept his eyes closed, waiting for just the right moment to flee. However, before that moment came, Solon poured the bucket of water over Jay. The boy sprang forward, startled. Remembering his plan, he flew off the mattress, bearing the pain in his legs to make a break for the door.

But he didn't get very far.

Solon quickly seized the apprentice by the arm and threw him violently to the floor. He then slammed the door and locked it.

_Damn!_ Jay thought.

He brought himself to his feet again as Solon walked right up to him.

"Where do you think you're going, Jay?" Solon asked. "Escape? There is no escape. You should know that better than anyone."

Jay didn't respond; he only swallowed a throatful of fear and anger. Solon pulled his arm back and gave him a hard punch to the face, knocking him onto the mattress. Jay sat up, but then to his horror, Solon began to climb onto the mattress as well.

_Oh...no..._ Jay thought.

Solon reached out to stroke his face. When Jay pulled back, Solon slapped him hard in the face again. Jay fell back onto the mattress, and the sadistic man lowered himself on top of him. Solon held up both hands and began to fondle Jay's smooth, wet skin.

"No! Stop!" Jay cried as he gave Solon a rough shove.

Solon pouted for a moment, then threw another punch to Jay's face. Jay fell back onto the mattress again. Solon took both of Jay's wrists and pinned them above his head with one hand.

"I should have known better than to leave you unrestrained," Solon told him.

While keeping Jay's wrists pinned with one hand, Solon used his other hand to fondle the boy's body once again. Jay kept his eyes closed, trying to close his mind to the torture...but he could still feel everything that this man was doing to him. Especially when he felt Solon's tongue slobbering his body again.

"No, stop!!" Jay screamed.

Solon straightened himself and slapped Jay's face again. Jay turned away from him, still gasping with uneven breaths. Solon paused to watch the boy squirm, still caressing his body.

"Oh dear...I just don't know what to do with you, Jay."

Jay gave him a puzzled look.

"I can't tell you how much fun this has been," Solon continued. "But then again, you don't need me to tell you, do you?"

Jay only shook his head.

"But what should I do while I think of more things to do to you? Should I let you go? Is that what I should do?"

Jay looked confused again. This had to have been a bad joke. There's no way Solon would just let him go...especially not if Jay indicated that he wanted to be released. Perhaps...perhaps some reverse psychology would work here.

"N...no..." Jay said weakly.

"You don't want me to let you go?" Solon asked for confirmation. "I knew you'd come around, my dear apprentice.

_Oh hell...that didn't work._

"You're trying to confuse me, aren't you?" Jay asked.

Solon shrugged. "What's so confusing? I just asked if I should let you go, and you said no. So if you don't want me to release you, that's fine with me."

"No, that's not what I meant!"

"Well, that's too bad. You've spoken your word, and you must take responsibility for it."

"But if you don't know what else to do with me, you might as well release me."

"Oh, that won't be necessary." Solon stroked Jay's face, moving his hand down to his body. "I would enjoy keeping you restrained forever. I love to see you wiggle like a worm on a hook. Ah hah hah!"

"Y...you're insane!"

Solon grinned. "And loving it."

Jay shot him a look of disbelief.

"Well then, now that we've made our deal, we should get started." Solon held up a syringe with a yellow fluid inside.

"Wh...what's that?" Jay asked.

"It's just a little drug that will put you to sleep for a while. I can't have you struggling while I transport you to the base. Don't worry; this is the same drug that Cashel gave you when he brought you to me."

Solon began to lower the needle towards Jay's body.

"No!" Jay twisted his wrists hard, freeing them from Solon's grip. He grabbed the arm with the needle, trying to keep from being drugged again. Despite Jay's struggles, Solon still brought the needle closer to his body.

"Arrgh...no..." Jay twisted Solon's wrist, pointing the needle away from him.

"You little brat!" Solon grabbed one of Jay's wrists and continued to apply the pressure.

Jay let his arm fall to his chest and twisted the needle back towards him, letting the needle reach him. Solon quickly injected the drug before he felt the sharp pain in his opposite wrist.

"What the!?" Solon gasped as he realized that he had injected the drug into his own arm.

Jay looked up, horrified at what would happen next.

"You...impudent little brat!" Solon groaned.

As he lost consciousness, he fell limp right on top of Jay.

_Great...this is just what I don't need..._

Jay wriggled himself out from under Solon's motionless body and stood up on his wobbly legs. He immediately grabbed his jacket and put it on. He then pulled the dagger from his pocket and glared at his former master.

"You never cease to amaze me, Solon," he said. "Putting my weapon back in my pocket when you were done? Not very bright, is it?"

He stood directly over Solon, raising his knife. The horror would end today. All of the torture and abuse he had endured would be paid back today. All of the cruel words Solon had spoken would be silenced once Jay had delivered the coup de grace.

Or would it?

As Jay held the knife up, he could hear Solon's voice from long ago. Even to this day, the words continued to devour his mind.

"_You aren't human. You're a killing machine, an instrument of death. You're a murderer with no emotions at all."_

_That's not true,_ Jay thought. _It can't be true!_

Why else would he hesitate to deliver the final blow?

"_Even if you did die, no one would shed a single tear. You and this dagger are one and the same. Your heart is as cold as the blade in your hand. Shed your humanity and become as this dagger."_

And that's exactly what Jay was doing right now.

"I...I can't do it." Jay lowered his blade. "If I kill you...then I'll become you. And I will never become like you."

Jay put his dagger away, then left the room precariously on his numb legs.


	5. Epilogue

Epilogue

Senel and the others went to the Oresoren village. They hadn't heard from Jay since he had left Senel's house, and they were getting worried. The group entered Quppo's house to find the three Scallop Brothers waiting.

"Oh, it's Senel's group!" Quppo said.

"Quppo, have you seen Jay?" Senel asked.

The Oresoren shook their heads.

"We were hoping that he had rejoined you," Poppo said.

"Where'd he go, anyway?" Moses asked. "He went outside to talk with y'all, and we ain't heard from him since!"

"He went to the Forest of No Return to face Cashel," Pippo said. "We haven't heard from him since either."

"He went alone?" Chloe asked. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"Jay said he had a score to settle with Cashel," Quppo told her.

"If he hasn't come back yet, he must be in trouble," Will said. "Let's head to the forest."

"Just leave it to me an' Giet!" Moses said.

As they started to leave, Jay entered the house. He walked to the center of the room with uneven steps, with a blank expression across his face.

"Jay, you're back!" Pippo said.

"We're so glad you're safe!" Poppo added.

"Jay, are you all right?" Will asked. "You look pale."

"I'm fine..." Jay responded flatly.

"Ooh, ooh, I got him, I got him!" Moses ran over to Jay and caught him as he passed out. "Jay! You all right?"

"Hey, JJ just collapsed!" Norma cried. "JJ, wake up!"

"Jay!" Quppo called. "What should we do?"

"Just leave him to me!" Moses scooped the unconscious Jay into his arms and carried him up the spiral stairs. He entered the room at the top, then closed the door, locking it tight.

"Hey!" Norma ran up the stairs and tried the door. "They locked it! What's going on in there? Hey Poppy, could you drill a hole in the door so I can see what's going on in there?"

"Okay," Poppo said. "I'll go get my drill."

"No, Poppo," Senel interrupted.

"Why not?"

"Because Norma's just being a pervert."

"Hey!" Norma ran back downstairs and stopped in front of Senel. "I heard what you just said! That was uncalled for! How can you go around calling me a pervert?"

Will walked over to her and bonked her in the head.

"Ow!" Norma turned to face Will. "What was that for! Didn't you hear what Senny said? You should be hitting him, not me!"

"Senel was only stating a fact," Will told her.

"Hey! Not you too, Teach! How can you say that to poor little me! I can't believe you! You're so cruel!"

"Norma!" Will growled through his teeth. "Settle down! Understand?"

Norma sighed and fell to her knees. "Ahh..."

---------------

Jay woke up slowly, and quickly sat up in his bed.

"All right, my little brother's awake!" Moses called.

Jay looked over at him. "Moses? What are you doing here?"

"I'm just makin' sure you're safe and all," Moses said. "We had no idea what happened to you. And then the furballs said that you went to face Cashel..."

"Yes, that was my intention..." Jay told him. "But then I was captured by Solon."

Moses sprang up. "What!?"

He grabbed the bottom of Jay's jacket and pulled it up. "That bastard had his hands all over you, didn't he!?"

"Uh...yes..."

Moses pulled Jay's jacket back down. "Dammit! Lemme at him! I'll murderize him! Let's go!"

He started to leave, but Jay quickly grabbed his wrist. "No! Moses, please don't!"

Moses turned around, instantly noticing the innocent and vulnerable expression in Jay's eyes. "Why not?"

"I really don't want to go to the trouble of coming after you, especially when it means facing Solon. And besides, 'murderize' isn't even a word."

"Huh? It ain't?"

"No, it's not."

Moses paused for a moment, then sat down on the floor. "So, what do we do now?"

"I...I have a question," Jay said. "An embarrassing question."

"Really? What's up? You can ask your big brother anything."

"Moses...you're the only other person who has...touched me. What is it like to touch someone like that?"

"Well..." Moses paused to think about it. "That's...that's something I can't explain. It feels really good, though. Here, touch me and see how it feels."

Moses stood right in front of Jay, arching backwards to expose his abdomen. Jay started to bring his hand up, but stopped himself.

"I...I can't..." Jay stood up and moved away from the bandit. "Why did I even ask?"

"Because you like bein' touched like that?" Moses suggested.

Jay's heart skipped a beat. He looked down at himself, still feeling the caresses that Solon had given him. He was beginning to fear that Moses might actually be right.

Jay turned to face the bandit. "Moses..."

Moses grinned. "Hah hah! You're blushin'! You look so cute with them rosy red cheeks!"

"That's enough!" Jay stomped his foot hard, shaking the whole room.

"Hey, easy there, shorty. You'll make the village cave in if you keep that up."

Jay dropped his head. "Moses..."

"All right, I get it. You wanna be left alone for a while, don't you? Fine...come see us when you're feelin' better, all right?"

"Yeah...sure."

Moses left the room, then rejoined the others downstairs.

"Moses, what happened?" Senel asked.

"Don't worry, Jay's fine," Moses told him. "I told him to come see us when he feels better."

"All right. Now that we know that Jay is safe, we should be getting back to town."

The group nodded in agreement.

---------------

Jay continued to stand in the center of his room for a moment longer.

_Moses...how it pains me to be comforted by you..._

He walked over to his bed and sat on the edge, putting his head in his hands to ponder today's events.

_**FIN**_


End file.
